


When We Grow Up

by Varewulf



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Childhood Promise, College, Edeleth, F/F, Fluff, Modern AU, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21547645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Varewulf/pseuds/Varewulf
Summary: A modern AU Edeleth fic where Byleth's parents are both alive, Byleth and Edelgard were childhood friends, and reunite in college after ten years apart.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 28
Kudos: 273





	1. When We Were Young

**Author's Note:**

> "Working on long fics is too hard at the moment," I said. "I should focus on shorter ideas until I get back into things," I said. And then shortly after I start this thing which took me about three weeks to finish. Maybe some day I will learn to take my own advice when I know it's what's best for me.
> 
> I had the idea of wanting to do a modern AU fic where Byleth's mother was still alive. Sadly the game never names her (afaik), so I had to make up my own name. I just wanted a happy family life for them. Which then expanded in scope as I wanted to add some Edeleth "fated reunion" + "childhood promise" romance to it too.
> 
> This is a bit different from my usual "modern AU" MO of just transposing as much of the setup as possible to a different setting, and not really changing much. Instead actually trying to think up new roles, statuses, and interpretations for the various characters for once. Not that I go completely off the wall with it or anything. Just tried doing something that fit the story better.
> 
> I did have to rein myself in a bit. I realised fairly early on that I couldn't just add a bunch of the characters to this. Some are mentioned in passing, some are alluded/hinted to as being part of the wider setting, but the number of actively participating characters is kept pretty small. This is already long enough without trying to incorporate even more stuff. I do have to aim for actually completing my fics at some point. *quietly hides all my unfinished drafts in a cupboard*
> 
> My one big worry is that since it was written across such a long period of time, and some days I wasn't able to write at all, it will not feel as coherent as it would if I had been able to write at a more steady, continual pace. Hopefully it still turned out okay. That's probably enough of these author's notes though, I should let you actually read the fic.

Magdalene Eisner was relaxing on the couch with a book when she heard a bunch of noise accompanying the front door being opened.

"We're home!" a gruff man's voice called out.

Magdalene sat up, put her book on the table, and got on her feet to go greet the pair out in the hallway.

"Welcome back," she said as she saw them. "How did it go?"

"Great!" Her husband Jeralt grinned wide at her. "See? We nearly filled the bucket!"

The bucket indeed seemed to be nearly full of fish.

"And did you enjoy yourself, sweetie?" Magdalene asked the other person.

Their daughter Byleth nodded. She was a quiet girl, at nearly nine years old. Not the most social girl, but very sweet, and earnest. And nearly as fond of the outdoors as her father.

"I caught the biggest one," Byleth said. She was clearly proud of her achievement.

"Oh, really? Wow!" Magdalene hoped she sounded suitably impressed.

"The kid's a natural," Jeralt said. He was positively brimming with pride. "She even pulled it up all on her own."

"No, you helped," Byleth corrected him immediately.

"Er... just a little bit," Jeralt said sheepishly, but he recovered quickly. "I'm not sure how you got so strong." He ruffled his daughter's hair.

Magdalene giggled. "She wants to be just like you, dear, so I'm not surprised," she said.

Byleth looked pleased, and her cheeks were slightly pink. It was cute how much she tried to ape whatever her father did. Though hopefully she didn't pick up any bad habits from it. The girl was still happy to spend time with her mother too, so it wasn't like Magdalene felt neglected.

"Alright, you two clean yourselves up, you both reek. I suppose dinner today will be fish, since it's fresh," Magdalene said.

"Thank you, Magda," Jeralt said, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you, mum," Byleth said, and gestured for her mother to bend down so she could also kiss her cheek.

As the two of them headed off, Magdalene took hold of the bucket. And realised she should have asked Jeralt to carry it into the kitchen first. Well, she'd manage. At least those two had already gutted it.

It was quite a lot. Maybe they should give some of it to her brother. His daughter was probably the biggest fish-lover in the family.

* * *

Byleth didn't have a lot of friends. There were some of the neighbourhood kids she spent time with, like the Bernadetta girl who didn't go outside much, and that boy Caspar she had a cute rivalry with as the two of them always competed about inconsequential things, but most notable was the girl who was visiting that day.

Magdalene decided to check in on them in Byleth's room. She knocked, and listened for a response.

"Come in," said Byleth's muffled voice.

"Hello, you two," she said after opening the door. They were both sitting in front of the computer, and had turned to look at her. A cat video was playing on the screen. They had pushed two chairs together, and were sitting side-by-side.

"Hi, mum," Byleth said.

"Hello, mrs. Eisner," the other girl said politely.

Their next-door neighbours were the von Hresvelg family, and their daughter Edelgard had been the first friend Byleth had made when they moved to the area years ago. Edelgard was a year younger, but that had been no barrier for the two of them. Edelgard was a little more out-spoken and expressive than Byleth, but not by that much. Edelgard's mother had confessed to Magdalene that her daughter didn't have a lot of friends either, so both her and her husband had been a little relieved to see how she had connected with Byleth.

Perhaps both girls had felt lonely, and bonded over that. They seemed quite content to enjoy each other's company in silence, like when watching videos, but presumably they also talked about things. However Magdalene wasn't sure what those might be, since they always stopped when someone else came into the room. Out of curiosity she had tried listening at the door once, but the two girls spoke too softly for her to make out anything. And she had felt ashamed about it afterwards.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked.

Edelgard shook her head, but Byleth had a request:

"I'd like some cookies. Please."

Magdalene smiled. "Alright, I can do that."

She left them alone to get a plate of cookies, and some juice to go along with it. When she returned the two of them had moved over to the small table in the room. Byleth had apparently found one of her comics, and was showing it to Edelgard. There was probably something interesting about it she wanted to share, but again they fell silent, and looked up at Magdalene as she entered.

"Thank you, mum," Byleth said as her mother put everything onto the table for them.

"Thank you, mrs. Eisner," Edelgard said.

"You're very welcome." As she was about to leave them alone again, she noticed the two were gently holding hands. With a smile she couldn't help saying: "You really like Edelgard, don't you?"

"Yeah." Byleth smiled. "We're getting married when we grow up," she said.

"Oh really?" Magdalene felt a little surprised. She hadn't expected that to be something the two of them had talked about.

Edelgard's cheeks had turned a warm pink, though she still nodded when Magdalene looked at her.

"Okay then." Magdalene patted her daughter on the head. "Make sure to treat her well, Byleth." It might just be a childish thing, and the two of them might change their minds later on, but she saw no reason to discourage them.

Byleth beamed. "I will."

* * *

Working in the garden was Magdalene's favourite hobby. Mainly cultivating flowers. She was somewhat of a collector, and had acquired all sorts. Both on her own, and with some help from Jeralt. Making them thrive was very satisfying. The only thing she really missed was a greenhouse to grow ones not suited to the local climate, but that was still just a dream. Hopefully one day she could make it a reality.

And some days Byleth wanted to join her. The girl sometimes had incredible amounts of patience for what many saw as tedious work. And she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

It looked like Byleth was very absorbed in tending to one of the flowerbeds.

"Are you having fun, sweetie?" Magdalene asked.

"No." Byleth wasn't one to hold back on saying how she really felt, but Magdalene was still sometimes caught off guard by how blunt she could be. Perhaps it was a silly question. "But I don't mind," the girl added after a short pause.

"Alright," Magdalene said. "You don't have to stay any longer than you want to, though."

Byleth got up to get the watering can. "I don't mind," she said again. One by one she went over the flowerbeds she had tended, being very meticulous in following the instructions her mother had given her. The final bed contained a flower that Magdalene had noticed Byleth always seemed to be extra careful with.

"Do you like carnations, Byleth?" Magdalene asked.

"Mhm." Byleth nodded slightly. "They're El's favourite."

"Ah." That made sense. If it was something Edelgard cared about, then Byleth tended to care about it too. It was cute.

Byleth put the watering can back in its rightful place. "Is it okay if I pick one for her?" she asked.

Magdalene smiled. "I'll do it for you, sweetie. I'll make sure to pick the best one." Collecting was one thing, but she also liked the idea of her flowers spreading joy to others.

Byleth gave her a hug. Without taking off her dirt-covered gloves first. "Thank you, mum," she said.

Magdalene accepted it. "You're very welcome." Clothes could always be washed, while hugs were precious treasures.

* * *

It had been shortly after Byleth's tenth birthday that Jeralt had gotten confirmation that he was getting transferred for work, so the family had to move. It had been in the cards for a while, but they hadn't wanted to tell Byleth until they were sure. Not exactly the best belated birthday present for their child, but the decision had been made.

To make matters worse it was quite far away, so it would be hard for Byleth to stay in touch with any of her friends. Seeing them in person was likely out of the question.

Jeralt had worried that she might throw a tantrum, but after the initial shock the girl had just looked very obviously hurt and disappointed. Which was honestly worse. He had hoped she'd get over it, but she had persisted for over a week, and still didn't want to talk to them. Not even her mother had much success getting anything out of her. Even if it was Jeralt who was getting transferred, Magdalene was apparently seen as a co-conspirator, or something along those lines.

Of course Magdalene had already put in her month's notice with her employer, and had some promising opportunities at their new home, so perhaps simply going along with it was seen as bad enough.

And neither of them had it in their hearts to be angry at her. Jeralt could understand his daughter being hurt. Keeping her out of the loop had possibly been a mistake. Maybe they should have tried to prepare her for it, but thinking about what could have been wasn't helping anyone. They had to deal with how things were.

At least she was still going to school without making a fuss.

"Where's Byleth?" he asked. He realised he hadn't seen her since breakfast.

"She's at Edelgard's," Magdalene answered.

"I see."

For several days after getting the news Byleth had barely left her room, but after that she started spending more and more time over at Edelgard's house. Perhaps wanting to make the most of the time they had left. Or maybe just because she didn't want to spend time with her parents.

There was no way to call things off at this point, so hopefully she could find it in her heart to forgive them. Preferably soon, if Jeralt was to be completely honest.


	2. Reunion

College life still felt a bit strange to Byleth. The 'responsibility for your own studies' portion was probably the most difficult, as she did better with a set schedule by someone else, but together with Annette she was figuring it out bit by bit. Hopefully attending all the lectures meant there wouldn't be too much catching up to do after they arrived at a working schedule, and Mercedes did her best her to help them out. It was her last year at the college though, while Annette and Byleth had just started their first.

It didn't help that Byleth was slow to make friends. Aside from those few that she knew from home, there wasn't anyone else she knew on campus yet. Meeting and talking to people wasn't exactly one of her greatest skills, so it might take a while before she got any new friends. If she got any at all. Maybe Annette would have more success, and Byleth could get to know someone that way. Or maybe Mercedes could introduce them to someone.

"Um... excuse me."

Byleth looked up. A girl with long, white hair tied into a side-ponytail stood there. Byleth didn't think she had seen her before, but something about those lavender eyes felt strangely familiar. Almost nostalgic. Though she couldn't explain why.

"Yes?" Maybe she had done something to inconvenience the girl. Byleth wasn't the best at reading expressions, but she definitely looked a bit awkward.

"Are you Byleth? Byleth Eisner?" the girl asked.

Byleth blinked. "Um... yes." How did the girl know her name? And what was this strange feeling... as if something was desperately scratching at the back of her mind. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked.

"Maybe you don't remember me... but... um... I'm Edelgard... von Hresvelg."

Byleth's eyes shot wide. "El!" _Of course._ Of course it was El. She'd been so distracted by the hair, when she should have focused more on the eyes. It had been ten years, yet they looked the same.

"Yes, I..." El paused for a second. "Y-you called me El."

"Oh. Is that not okay?" Byleth asked, wondering if maybe that was too childish now.

"It's fine! It's..." El stumbled over her words a bit. "I... I like it. Please continue. Uh... I mean..." Her cheeks had taken on a nice, pink hue that Byleth remembered very well.

"Please sit down," Byleth said. There was room at the table, and maybe El would look less awkward if she got to sit. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognise you. The hair distracted me."

El took a seat, though her body still looked a bit tense. "Right... I dyed it a few years back, and decided to keep doing it," she said.

"Oh? Why?" Byleth asked.

"Uh..." El's blush suddenly deepened. "I just felt like a change. I guess it looks weird..." She twirled her finger around the ponytail.

"No." Byleth shook her head. "You still look good. You'd probably look good with any colour or style. Like the twintails were really cute, but I like this too."

There seemed to be no end to El's blushing. Which was also cute. "Y-you still remember that?" she asked.

"Of course. How could I forget?" Even after they had unfortunately lost contact, Byleth had kept thinking about El regularly. They had made a promise, after all. She smiled as wide as she could. "It's really good to see you again. But how did you know it was me?" She was used to comments about how much she had changed during her teens.

"Uh... um... w-well, there's not a lot of people with hair colour like yours, so I... I guess I took a gamble, haha." El was scratching at her cheek for some reason.

"Oh." Byleth couldn't really read El's curious expression, but what she said made sense. Her mother's hair colour was an unusual one, and Byleth had inherited it. She had never met anyone quite the same, not even in her own family. "Well, I'm glad you haven't forgotten about me either." That was something she had worried about a lot. That whenever she found El again she would have forgotten all about her, and moved on.

"I could never," El said. There was that warm smile Byleth remembered.

"I look forward to catching up with you. I want to hear about everything I've missed."

"Me too." El seemed like she was starting to relax.

College life suddenly felt a lot more interesting.

* * *

"Is something wrong, Edelgard? You seem distracted."

"Hubert, I'm in trouble," Edelgard stated solemnly.

Hubert's demeanour changed immediately. "Is someone bothering you?" he asked in a serious tone.

"Huh? No."

"Bullying you?"

"No, it's not-"

"Blackmailing you?"

"No! Just listen, will you?"

"I'm sorry," he said, though he still seemed ready to spring into action. "Go ahead." While she appreciated his protective nature to an extent, it could sometimes be a bit much to deal with.

They were in Edelgard's room, as Hubert had come over to discuss an upcoming convention happening in town that they were planning to go to. Cosplay was supposed to be on the agenda, but Edelgard's mind was firmly elsewhere.

"So there's this girl," Edelgard started.

"Who needs to be dealt with?"

"Hubert!"

"My apologies."

"I know this girl. Or I knew her, at least. We used to live next to each other when we were younger, but about ten years ago her family moved away. She was my only close friend at the time." She hadn't met Hubert until middle school, and she had felt terribly alone before they became friends. She wondered if Byleth had gone through the same. Neither of them had been happy about her having to move away, but part of her had always worried that Byleth would get over it quickly once she got to her new home. That she would forget all about El. So it had been a genuine shock when Byleth immediately used her old nickname. Her parents were the only others who still did. The thought of it made her chest feel warm.

"And now she's here at the college," Edelgard added. It was the truth that Byleth's hair colour had been what had sparked recognition for her. But she had left out the part where she had gone into the college's student registry to look for Byleth's name before she had approached her. It hadn't been a gamble. Not really. Even if she looked so different otherwise that she had been worried it might just be someone with the same name.

"Why is that trouble?" Hubert asked. Edelgard had a feeling he was going through various terrible scenarios in his head. He had a gift for it.

"Because... she's so pretty," Edelgard said. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about it.

"What?" She could almost hear the gears in his brain screech.

"She was always charming in her own way, but she used to be such a tomboy. Short hair, a bit unkempt, very active, and out and about. Yet also happy to just sit with me for hours. We did a lot together." Seeing her again, and speaking to her again had made those memories come flooding back. "But now she's... how did she become so beautiful?" Edelgard had been racking her brains for the answer. Puberty had to have hit Byleth hard. Long, fluffy hair. A soft face, with warm eyes behind stylish glasses. Tal- actually not that tall, just slightly taller than Edelgard. Clearly fit. What sorts of muscles were hiding under those clothes? And massive boobs. How was that fair? Weren't athletic girls supposed to have more modest chests?

Edelgard couldn't remember how Byleth's mother looked very well. It had been a decade since last she saw her, and she hadn't even been ten years old at the time. She could vaguely remember thinking she was pretty. Byleth had to have taken after her mother in looks, even if in behaviour she had always seemed closer to her father.

"Excuse me, but I don't see how this puts you in trouble," Hubert said. He seemed confused. "I can tell you're distressed, but I don't understand why."

"What's not to understand? She's so attractive that I'm not sure what to do with myself!" Or with her. Wait, no, that was a dangerous line of thought to go down.

"So..." Hubert drummed his fingers on the table. "You're in love?"

Edelgard froze. "I... I don't know..." Was she? She had been in love before. Even dated someone in high school. But it hadn't felt like this. "I mean, we've only just met. Reunited, I mean. I don't even know what she's like now." It was just that her stomach had felt weird when she had discovered Byleth was at the college. And her heart had skipped a beat when she had called her 'El'.

Hubert rested his chin on his hand. "Do you want to get to know what she's like?" he asked.

"Uh..." Edelgard stalled, poking her fingers together. A big part of the trouble was that she did. Desperately so. And Hubert would see right through her if she tried to deny it. He was good at that. "Yes," she admitted.

"Then I would suggest asking her to come along to the con," Hubert said. "That should give you some time to talk about things without simply awkwardly sitting together somewhere."

"W-what?" Edelgard's mind struggled to compute. How did he know about the awkwardly sitting together thing? But more importantly: "Like a date? To a convention? But... what if she thinks I'm a nerd?" She couldn't really remember if Byleth used to have any interests besides being outdoors, and physical activities. She might be a total jock. But they had spent time together inside many times, so there must have been something. She just couldn't remember. Yet who knew how things stood after all that time.

Hubert chuckled. "If you truly wish to be reacquainted, you will need to let her see the real you. Expose your dark side." He sounded like he was enjoying himself.

"Urk..." Edelgard knew he was right. If she really wanted them to get to know each other again, she wouldn't be able to hide who she was for very long.

"But if that is too much to ask, then there is still the option to have her... taken care of."

"No!" She wasn't sure if he was just joking, or whether he actually had something in mind, but either way it was not happening.

It really didn't seem right that she should get so flustered over any one person, even her long-lost childhood friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapter lengths are not going to be consistent...


	3. Promise

Byleth hadn't been to a convention before. The closest she could think of was going with her father to a fishing fair, though it was clearly not the same kind of deal. It had still been pretty crowded, but the comparisons kinda ended there. She had seen someone dressed up as a fish near the entry to the building. At least she thought it had been a fish. There were people dressed up as all sorts of things, some of which she recognised, most of which she didn't.

It might not be somewhere she would think to go on her own, but she was happy that El had invited her.

"Do you go here often?" she asked.

"Eh? Uh... not here," El replied. "This one only happens twice a year, and I haven't had the opportunity to travel at the appropriate times, but now that I live at a dorm in town it's much more convenient."

"Heh heh heh, con-venient." Byleth chuckled. "Good one."

El gave her a strange look. "Pardon?"

"It's a con-vention, and it's con-venient." Byleth noticed El was still not laughing. "Never mind." It was the kind of joke her dad would have made, so she had just assumed. "You said 'this one'. So there are more of them?" she asked.

"Yeah. A lot of cities tend to have at least one. Back in the capital there are several." Now El was smiling. Perhaps she really liked conventions.

"Do you go to all of them?" Byleth asked.

"Uh... n-not all. Just some of them. Sometimes." El blushed.

Byleth thought El was acting a little weird, but she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and she didn't know how much El had changed in that time. Instead she asked: "So where are we meeting your friend?"

El checked her phone. "He says he's waiting by the entrance to the main hall," she said.

The two of them had gotten together several times to talk and catch up, but there always seemed to be an overhanging sense of not really knowing what to say. Some awkward silences, and small talk that neither of them was great at. There was so much to cover, but she had no idea where to start. It hadn't been entirely fruitless, but often her mind went blank as soon as she was alone with El. And Byleth hadn't gotten to meet any of El's new friends yet. Though she had idly wondered if any of the other kids from the old neighbourhood were also attending the college. She should probably make a note to actually ask about that.

In front of them was a large open doorway, and outside stood someone dressed entirely in black. Most people seemed to pay this figure no mind, though a few seemed to walk a little extra out of the way, probably due to the intense aura given off.

El raised her hand, and waved. "Hubert!"

So that was Hubert. In the midst of all that blackness it had been hard to tell he had been looking at his phone until he looked up. His complexion was a little pale, or maybe it just seemed that way when contrasted with his outfit, and his raven-black hair. Part of it was hanging down over his face, covering up one eye. She wondered if that affected his depth perception. And as they got closer it became clear that he was quite tall.

"Hello, Edelgard," he said. "And you must be Byleth."

"Nice to meet you," Byleth said, and offered him her hand.

He took her hand, and shook it. "Likewise."

"What are you dressed up as?" Byleth asked. It seemed like a lot of effort had gone into his costume.

"Nothing," Hubert replied. "This is how I normally dress."

"Really?" Byleth wasn't sure if he was joking or not. "You look just like a vampire."

Hubert smiled. "Thank you," he said. She liked him already.

El cleared her throat. "Shall we get going?" she asked.

Byleth looked around as they entered the hall. There were lots of tables set up, where it seemed like people were selling things. "I like the energy of the place. Everyone seems so excited. Though it's a bit noisy," she said.

"You get used to it. Is this your first time at a convention?" Hubert asked.

"Yeah," Byleth replied. "Is it that obvious?"

"A bit," Hubert said.

"What is everyone selling?" Byleth asked.

"Well, there are some booths here belonging to companies selling official goods," El said. "But a lot of it is independent artists selling fanworks, crafted items, and even some original stories."

"What sorts of stories?"

"Uh... all sorts, really," El said. "People get into fandoms for all sorts of reasons, and often create what they want to see more of."

"Interesting..." Byleth remembered how she and El would make up little stories about things they liked. El would draw pictures to go along with them. But Byleth hadn't imagined such a large-scale version of that. There seemed to be dozens of people with booths.

"Edelgard has a particular fondness for romance stories," Hubert chimed in with.

"Hubert!" El hissed.

"Romance?" Byleth looked at her.

"N-no, don't listen to him!"

Byleth had to giggle. El was cute when she was flustered.

* * *

Time flew by quickly, and it didn't feel like that much time had passed before it was time to leave again.

Byleth had mostly just been led around by El and Hubert, but it had still been fun. A glimpse into a world she had only vaguely been aware of. A world El seemed right at home in. Though it wasn't all foreign, as she had managed to find a couple of booths for comics she read herself, and even one for a series she liked that had ended years ago. Curiosity had compelled her to buy one of these fanworks, and even a small figurine.

Her aching feet were probably the best proof of how long they'd been walking around, but they still had the walk back to the campus dorms to endure. At least the fresh air felt nice after being inside for so long. With so many people in there it had gotten rather stuffy. Not to mention smelly.

Though Byleth suddenly realised something. "Where's Hubert?" she asked. It wasn't that long since she had seen him, but all of a sudden he was nowhere in sight.

"Uh..." El looked around too. "I'm not sure. Hang on..." She pulled out her phone. "Oh. He sent a message saying he had to leave for an appointment. I guess I didn't hear it."

That made sense. Everything seemed so peaceful now that they were out of there. She hadn't really noticed how loud it had been until she could no longer hear it.

"So what did you think?" El asked.

"Of the convention?"

El nodded.

"It was fun. Interesting. I think I have probably heard about them before, on TV or online, but I've never had cause to go to one before," Byleth said. "I'm happy you invited me." She smiled at El, who smiled back.

"That's good. I was worried you'd be bored or something," El said.

"If you thought that, then why invite me?" Byleth asked.

"Well..." El blushed a little. "I don't know... figured it wouldn't hurt to ask, I guess..."

"Well, I'm happy you did," Byleth said again. "Even if the convention had been boring, I would have been fine with you there."

"Eh?"

"Like... seeing how you glow when you talk about something you're really into is good." As if all the nervous awkwardness was just forgotten, and she was simply herself in her purest form. "Really beautiful."

"B-beautiful?" El's blushing seemed to going out of control again.

"Yup."

"I had almost forgotten how you tend to just say whatever's on your mind without warning," El said with a sigh. "It's bad for my heart."

"Oh? Sorry."

"It's okay. I guess it's nice to know at least some things have stayed the same." El's smile returned.

They walked in silence for a minute, then El spoke up again:

"Um... hey... can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure?" Byleth glanced towards her.

"Do you... do you remember... the promise we made?" El asked.

"Promise?" It took Byleth a moment, but then she realised what El had to be talking about. "You mean that we would get married when we grew up?"

"Uh... y-yeah."

They had probably talked about it before then, it was hard to remember clearly everything that had happened a decade ago, but Byleth vividly remembered that shortly before she moved, she and El had promised that they would find each other again after they had grown up, and get married for real. She just hadn't expected it to happen so soon. "You mean you still want to?" she asked. The fact that El still remembered made her stomach tingle.

"I-"

"We should probably wait until after we graduate," Byleth said. "But I'd love to. I've thought about you a lot all these years, El." She gently took hold of El's hand. "I hope I can make you happy."

"I... I gotta go!" El suddenly pulled her hand away, and then ran off. Her face was bright red.

"El?" Byleth was a little stunned. _Why did she run?_ she wondered. _Did I do something wrong?_ Maybe that wasn't what El had meant after all. She would have to find some way to apologise for misunderstanding, but she wasn't sure how.


	4. Growing Up

"Dorothea, I'm in big trouble."

Dorothea was someone Edelgard had met in high school, and had somehow become friends with. At first glance the two of them seemed very different. Dorothea was chatty, social, and quite popular. Taller than most girls, and beautiful enough to make most of the school have at least a little crush on her, no matter their gender.

Meanwhile Edelgard was quiet around strangers, slow to get to know people, only hung out with the 'weird' kids, and had like four or five friends. Not to mention that after getting into some deeply nerdy shit, and dyeing her hair white, there were more people happy to avoid her than those who thought she was cool.

So at first the two had been in entirely different circles in the same class, yet Edelgard had sensed a certain loneliness in Dorothea. Something she was familiar with. Perhaps Dorothea had also realised it. And at some point they had found themselves talking to each other.

While she wouldn't admit it to anyone else, Edelgard liked getting together with Dorothea for some girl talk. And a bit of gossip. She didn't have anyone else to talk to about such things. For instance Dorothea had just been filling Edelgard in on a cute blonde she had met the previous week, before she asked if Edelgard had anything to share.

"Trouble?" Dorothea seemed understandably confused.

"Yes. Big, big trouble," Edelgard repeated.

"Ah." Dorothea leaned back in her seat. "Is this about that girl you've been hanging out with?"

"Ye- w-wait, how do you know about that?" Edelgard asked.

"Oh, come on, Edie," Dorothea rolled her eyes. "It's hardly a secret that you've been sneaking off to meet in private with a girl you just met. Good job, by the way," she added with a wink.

"I haven't been sneaking off!" Edelgard protested.

"Yes you have."

"And we didn't just meet! We've reunited!"

"Oh?" Dorothea raised an eyebrow, clearly wanting to know more.

"I..." Edelgard hadn't meant to blurt that out, but she couldn't take it back. And she had filled Hubert in, so it would be unfair to try to keep Dorothea in the dark. "Yeah... we used to live next to one another as kids, but then she moved away like a decade ago. We lost contact, but now I've met her again... here."

"Ooo~. That's quite the romantic tale. Reuniting with your first love after a decade apart. It's like fate!" Dorothea seemed very into the idea.

"I wouldn't say that..." Edelgard mumbled.

"No wonder you've been extra happy lately~," Dorothea said with a sly grin. "So what's the trouble?"

Edelgard took a deep breath. "She wants to marry me," she said.

Dorothea's eyes went wide. "Pardon? She proposed to you?"

"What? No."

" _You_ proposed to _her_?" Dorothea whistled, clearly impressed. "And she said yes? Wow, I didn't think you had it in you."

"N-no!" Edelgard was quick to say. "I mean, not quite..."

"What? Then please explain it to me, Edie, because you're just making me confused here," Dorothea said.

"Well..." Edelgard awkwardly scratched at her cheek while staring at a wall. "See... before she moved... we... uh... we promised each other... that we would meet again... and get married... when we grew up... and... I kinda... asked if she remembered."

"Ah. So you did propose," Dorothea said.

"W-what? No!"

"That's basically a proposal, Edie." Dorothea sounded confident.

"I-it's not!" Edelgard protested, but then a sliver of uncertainty slipped in. "Is it?" She was the one who had brought it up, and... she honestly wasn't sure why, or what she had wanted to come of it. It had just slipped out.

"Edie." Dorothea leaned forward, and placed a hand on top of Edelgard's. "I say this as a dear friend who cares a lot about you. You're a disaster."

"I'm what?"

"You know those memes online about disaster lesbians? That's you," Dorothea said with absolute certainty.

"I'm not!" Edelgard paused. "Am I? Oh no... I am..." At the very least she was a complete mess.

"See?" Dorothea looked far too smug.

"B-but it's not my fault! She comes back out of nowhere after ten years, while looking that good. How is that fair? She's grown up to be exactly my type. Long lovely hair, attractive, cute glasses, muscles-"

"Huge tits," Dorothea interjected.

"Yes! Uh... I mean..." Edelgard's brain and mouth were having a slight disconnect.

"There's no shame in that, Edie. None at all," Dorothea said. She certainly seemed amused, though.

"Ugh..." Edelgard hung her head. "I don't know what to do..." She had pointedly avoided Byleth since the incident, as she had no idea what to say to her if they talked again.

"Okay, Edie. Serious question time. What do you _want_ to do?" Dorothea asked.

Edelgard felt like she might be sweating. "I... I don't know..." she muttered.

"Edie. Be honest," Dorothea said.

"I want... I want to..." Edelgard gave in, realising there was no use in trying to deny it. "I want her."

"There you go~!" Dorothea said in a cheerful tone. "Doesn't that feel better?"

"Ugh... but is that really okay?" Edelgard asked. It had barely been a month since their reunion. Part of her wondered if that was moving too fast. Yet it was impossible to get it out of her mind.

"Of course it is!" Dorothea leaned over, and patted Edelgard on the shoulder. "I'll be looking forward to my wedding invitation, mrs. Edelgard Eisner."

"W-what? Why not Byleth von Hresvelg?" Edelgard had conflicted feelings about how easily Dorothea had said that. Then something occurred to her. "Wait... how do you know her name?"

"Well..." Dorothea tapped her chin. "I got curious about what sort of girl you were spending so much time with, so... I went and introduced myself the other day."

Edelgard face-palmed. "Of course you did." She wasn't sure why she had expected anything else.

"I guess we both like strong women, huh?" Dorothea grinned. "And Edie. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but you radiate intense bottom energy. So it will be Edelgard Eisner."

"I do not! And what sort of logic is that anyway?" Edelgard huffed.

Dorothea laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, neither of you has to take the other's name. It's totally okay to keep yours in these modern times," she said. "I just think E. E. suits you. As if it was destiny~."

"Please... shut up." Edelgard groaned as Dorothea laughed even more.

But her friend was right in that she should be honest. The goddess only knew what Byleth might be thinking after Edelgard had so shamefully ran away from her. Something her father had taught her was to take responsibility for her actions. So maybe she should actually take that lesson to heart.

* * *

As Byleth was maintaining her fishing gear there was a knock on her door. She set her fishing rod against the wall before going to answer. It would probably be rude to make whomever it was wait until she placed it back in the closet.

Opening the door she found: "El!"

"Hey, Byleth," El said.

Byleth had thought a lot about what to say when she got to talk to El again, but her mind suddenly felt blank. She had decided to not chase El around any longer when she was so clearly avoiding her, and just wait for El to come to her if she wanted to. Yet she didn't feel prepared for it to have happened so soon.

"Um... hey, I'd like to apo-" she started to say.

But El interrupted her: "No, Byleth, I'm the one- uh..." she looked around. "Can I... come in? I'd rather not talk out here."

"Yeah, of course." Byleth stepped aside to let El inside, then closed the door behind her.

"So... this is your room," El said.

"Yeah," Byleth replied. El hadn't been in here before, nor had Byleth been to El's room. They'd always gotten together outside somewhere. "So... um..."

El turned around to face her. "Listen, Byleth. I'm really sorry. For... for bringing that up, and then... running away."

"El-"

El held up a hand. "Please just let me finish this before I lose my nerve." She took a deep breath. "I am not quite sure why I brought up our old promise out of the blue like that. Maybe it was because I worried for so long that you would forget all about me after you moved. Maybe because I'm uncertain how to act around you now. Maybe because I have so many emotions to try to sort out. Maybe because you make my heart beat so fast I can't hear my own thoughts. Regardless, I panicked. And..." She started twirling a finger around her ponytail. "M-maybe talking about m-marriage is a bit soon... w-when we don't even know how much we have changed, or stayed the same... b-b-but maybe we could find out? Like... we could try g-going out... like a c-couple..." Her face was turning increasingly crimson with every word.

Byleth felt a significant amount of tension dissolve from her body and mind. "Pfffft."

"W-why are you laughing?" El asked.

"Sorry. You're just so cute," Byleth said.

"C-cute?!" El appeared taken aback.

"Oh El. I'm relieved. I thought I had misunderstood or offended you in some way," Byleth said.

"Well..."

"I'd be happy to go out, like a couple." For some reason that hadn't occurred to her as an option. She wasn't sure how she had envisioned them spending time together before marriage. Maybe hadn't actually thought about it in any real sense. She had never gone out with anyone before. Just hadn't felt the urge to. But after reuniting with El she could certainly see the appeal. So they would do couple things then? What exactly did couples do? They could probably figure something out.

Her first instinct was to take El's hand again, but then she reconsidered. Maybe El hadn't liked it when she had done that without asking, but there was something else they hadn't done in ten years. She spread her arms invitingly, and asked quite simply: "Hug?"

El looked surprised, hesitated for a few seconds, but then went into the embrace. Byleth thought she felt softer than she remembered. But it had been a long time, so who knew for sure.

"You smell nice," El mumbled.

Byleth giggled. "You too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like them soft.


	5. Epilogue: Happiness

It had become routine that everyone had lunch together if their schedules allowed for it. Byleth, Edelgard, and both of their respective (and small) friend groups. Edelgard didn't feel like she really knew Byleth's friends all that well yet, but they seemed nice. Though for someone who was in her final year, and had a thesis to work on, Mercedes was available surprisingly often. She seemed very easy-going, and Edelgard couldn't help worrying a little about whether she'd be okay. But she really shouldn't make any judgements until she knew her better.

That day most of them were present. Dorothea, Hubert, Annette, and Mercedes. Even Bernadetta had been convinced to not run straight back to her room for once. Edelgard knew Bernadetta used to think of Byleth as a big sister of sorts back when they were kids, but she was still surprised at how quickly the timid girl had become at ease with new Byleth. She even seemed to be more willing to spend time outside with everyone so long as Byleth was there, and was currently seated on the other side of her from where Edelgard was sitting. Though Edelgard had made sure to sit a little closer to Byleth. Not that she felt insecure or anything, that was just how things should be.

She idly wondered if Hubert felt outnumbered being the only boy at the table, but he wasn't showing any signs of being bothered by it. Of course it could be hard to get a good read on him sometimes, even for someone who knew him well.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you this happy, Edie," Dorothea said all of a sudden.

"Eh?" Edelgard nearly jumped at being startled out of her thoughts.

"You're glowing."

"Oh?" Byleth gave Dorothea a curious look.

"Oh yeah." Dorothea seemed only happy to elaborate. "I mean, I wouldn't say Edie is a gloomy person or anything, but she sometimes seems lonely. Until you came along."

"Dorothea!" Edelgard hissed. "You don't have to tell her that!"

Byleth looked at Edelgard. "So it's true?" she asked.

"N-no, don't listen to her! She's just... I mean, of course I'm happy, but... that's not... I mean..." Edelgard wasn't sure what she was trying to say exactly, but Dorothea's self-satisfied smile made her want to protest this... this accusation. Then she felt warm, gentle fingers entwine with her own.

"I'm happy too, El," Byleth said, and leaned against her so their heads touched.

Edelgard felt ready to explode. Or melt. Or both. How could anyone say something like that so earnestly? And why was Mercedes looking nearly as pleased as Dorothea?

Maybe more than ever Edelgard understood Bernadetta's desire to just hide away in her room. Yet she also wanted to bask in the goofy giddiness that Byleth's affection caused. _Yeah. Happy._ It was a nice thought.

* * *

"Love you too, sweetie," Magdalene said, and hung up the phone. It had been a long time since she heard her daughter be that excited, and it made her smile.

"Was that Byleth?" Jeralt asked. He was in the hobby room, working on the outboard engine for his fishing boat.

Magdalene walked over to the door so they didn't have to yell to hear one another. "Yes. She had some news to share. Do you remember Edelgard?" she asked.

"Edelgard?" Jeralt didn't look up. "Oh, you mean the neighbour girl from the capital?"

"Mhm. Apparently she attends the same college Byleth goes to, and they met again," Magdalene said. Byleth had been upset for so long after they had moved that for a while her mother had worried it might be permanent. Making new friends had helped cheer her up again, but she hadn't noticed how not all of it had come back until she had heard what her voice was like just now. Things changed when you became a teen, after all, so she hadn't thought any changes had any other reasons.

"That's nice," Jeralt said while loosening a nut with his wrench. It seemed like he was only partly paying attention.

"Yeah. They're getting married."

"That's nice," Jeralt said again. Then a couple of moments later he dropped the wrench, and looked at Magdalene with wide eyes. "P-pardon?"

Magdalene just grinned back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Byleth actually tell Magdalene that, or did she just say it to mess with Jeralt? Who knows~


End file.
